Royal Caribbean's Royal Amplified program revitalizes older, outdated ships by refitting them with many of the same attractions, amenities, and experiences found on the line's newest ships. But have you ever wondered how these ambitious projects materialize?
For Royal Caribbean, innovation has always been at the heart of ship design, whether that's creating brand-new ship classes or upgrading existing hardware.
"If you look at every generation of ship that we introduce, we perpetually innovate and create," says Michael Bayley, President and CEO of Royal Caribbean International.
"We're always pushing the envelope; we're always adding new experiences and features; we're always focused on the customer experience; we're always making sure that we really are delivering something phenomenal."
(Credit: Royal Caribbean International)
Bayley describes Royal Caribbean's mindset as a balance between "revolution, evolution, and tradition." Tradition focuses on the experiences that cruise fans adore, like the nautical Schooner Bar, while evolution enhances existing favorites to keep them fresh.
Finally, revolution introduces radically new and innovative concepts to the industry, such as the Crown's Edge attraction aboard Icon Class ships.
Royal Caribbean's Royal Amplified program integrates all three principles to enhance the overall guest experience and ensure older vessels continue serving as sought-after vacation destinations for years to come.
(Credit: Royal Caribbean International)
In the cruise line's latest "Engineering the Experience" press video, they give an overview of just how much work goes into a Royal Amplification project.
"Royal Amplified is a program that allows us to take all of that innovation and move it back to the ships that actually were introduced into the market before they had taken place," explains Darren Dudden, the Director of Product Development for Royal Caribbean International.
"We have so much innovation that we've continued to bring to the cruise experience, that now we have a lot that we're going to add back in."
The goal is to modernize the ship and keep the guest experience fresh
(Credit: Royal Caribbean International)
According to Jay Schneider, Senior Vice President and Chief Product Innovation Officer of Royal Caribbean International, nearly everything has evolved in one way or another.
There are so many new and revolutionary experiences aboard their fleet, ranging from food and beverage concepts to water attractions, entertainment options, and other adrenaline-pumping thrills.
"We're looking to take our ship and completely modernize it by understanding what it is that our guests are looking for, and we start the process by asking questions," says Daniella Hoffman, AVP of Product Development for Royal Caribbean International.
Work begins long before a ship enters the dock
(Credit: Royal Caribbean International)
When the time arrives, cruise ships head to specialized shipyards around the world, including facilities in Freeport, Bahamas; Brest, France; Cádiz, Spain; Marseille, France; and Tuas, Singapore.
However, long before a ship arrives at the shipyard, teams are already hard at work developing plans, designing new spaces, and coordinating the complex logistics of installing everything on a tight timeline. For example, prefabrication and preconstruction begin as much as eight months in advance.
"We don't just take piece parts to the ship and then install them. We do as much prefabrication as we can. We plan dry docks on a five-year sequence, so we're planning this a long, long way ahead," explains Kevin Douglas, VP of Technical Project Newbuild for Royal Caribbean International.
(Credit: Royal Caribbean International)
The dry dock teams are ready before the ship's engines shut off, too. Sometimes, demolition begins before the vessel even reaches the dry dock, and a lot of preparation goes into protecting areas that aren't getting a facelift.
Douglas continues by talking about how important coordination and collaboration are, particularly with more than 2,000 people working on board the ship at the same time.
There can be as many as 7,500 tasks that must be carefully planned, sequenced, and executed within a tight timeframe, each requiring logistics and the materials to support it.
(Credit: Royal Caribbean International)
"A big project can have anywhere between 1,200 [and] almost 2,000 containers worth of material. And we're looking at production rates of about 2.5% per day... We look to only have about a day and a half of material on board to match the production," he says.
Moving on, many projects require the total amount of time the ship is out of service to be completed. Sometimes, certain projects, like new accommodations, are actually finished up in service.
According to Douglas, smaller tasks can often be completed in around ten days or two weeks, and the team works to keep the S-curve as flat as possible.
(Credit: Royal Caribbean International)
This ensures that not everyone starts and finishes at the same time, which helps to smooth out the workload and improve efficiency across the ship's Royal Amplification dry dock process.
From construction zone to a revitalized vacation destination
(Credit: Royal Caribbean International)
After around two months in dry dock, the ship's Royal Amplification transformation is complete.
Spaces are cleaned and prepared for guests; restaurants are set with tableware and cutlery; and bars are stocked and tested.
Although guests only see the finished result, the cruise line's Royal Amplified program represents years of planning and thousands of hours of work — and all of this requires ingenuity, problem-solving, and a great deal of teamwork across every level of the company.
Royal Caribbean Amplification schedule
(Credit: Royal Caribbean International)
Here's a quick rundown of which ships have been amplified and which are on the docket for future renovations.
- Independence of the Seas (COMPLETED 2018)
- Mariner of the Seas (COMPLETED 2018)
- Navigator of the Seas (COMPLETED 2019)
- Voyager of the Seas (COMPLETED 2019)
- Oasis of the Seas (COMPLETED 2019)
- Freedom of the Seas (COMPLETED 2020)
(Credit: Royal Caribbean International)
- Allure of the Seas (COMPLETED 2025)
- Ovation of the Seas (COMPLETED 2026)
- Harmony of the Seas (COMPLETED 2026)
- Liberty of the Seas (COMPLETED 2026)
- Explorer of the Seas (INDEFINITELY POSTPONED)
- Adventure of the Seas (INDEFINITELY POSTPONED)
